My family and I do not usually celebrate ANZAC Day. I have been to one ANZAC Day dawn service, representing my past primary school. My first dawn service was at the Bordertown RSL.
My Great Great Grandfather George William Erasmus Vile was involved in the First World War. I also had two Great Great uncles who served in the Second World War their names are Robert Maccormac and Peter Day.
George William Erasmus Vile
George William Erasmus Vile is my Great Great Grandfather who served in the first world war. He was born in Brompton, South Australia. When he joined the war he lived with his wife on 55 Coglin Street in Brompton. His service number was 3391. He embarked to the war on the 7th of March 1918 in Adelaide. He worked as a railway packer. George was 35 years of age when he joined up in the war. He was married to Mary Vile at the time. George came in on the RMS Ormonde. He was a part of the 43rd Battalion and the 8th reinforcement.The 43rd Battalion was the last of the predominantly South Australian Battalions to be raised. George returned to Australia on the 9th of December 1918.
The 43rd Battalion.
The Embarkation List - You can see George's name at the bottom of the list.
Robert Maccormac
My Great Great Uncle, Robert Maccormac (Bob) served in WW2. Robert was born on the 26th of July, 1916. His service number was N73596. Bob joined the war on the 13th of March, 1940. He was in the Coastal Defences unit as a gunner in the war. Robert came home early from the war because he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He died on the 17th of April, 1941 in Australia, aged 24. He passed away from the tumour.
Peter Ross Day
My Great Great Uncle, Peter R Day was a member of the Air Force in World War Two. Peter was born in the 1920's. Before he joined the war he lived in Adelaide with his mother. Peter fought in Papua New Guinea. After the war Peter moved to Tasmania and married a lady from Hobart. He moved to the East Coast of Tasmania and farmed. Peter then died in 1965.
Reflection
By being involved in this project I have learnt a lot of new information on my family history, about Gallipoli and about how ANZAC Day is celebrated in many different ways. When I started this project I did not know about any family members that had been part of any of the wars, and I also was not aware what roles the family members partook in the war. When I began this project I did not have a very strong knowledge on the topic of Gallipoli. By participating in this project I learnt about what roles my family members played in Gallipoli and I also found out what these war positions did during the landing of Gallipoli. Before this project I only knew very little about how people celebrated ANZAC Day, like attending dawn services, watching ANZAC parades, going to the ANZAC Day football clash and how baking ANZAC biscuits was a part of remembrance. By completing this project it broadened my view on how people take ANZAC Day too far and how Australians are very proud of our ANZAC’s.
Being involved in this project has changed my view on ANZAC Day to a certain extent. It has not changed how I respect the ANZAC’s; I may even respect them more now that I know in more detail what they had to go through. Being involved in this project has also changed how I think about peoples ANZAC Day celebrations. I have never thought in detail about how people have taken their ANZAC Day celebrations too far.
My ANZAC Story - Eliza Day
My ANZAC Story
My family and I do not usually celebrate ANZAC Day. I have been to one ANZAC Day dawn service, representing my past primary school. My first dawn service was at the Bordertown RSL.
My Great Great Grandfather George William Erasmus Vile was involved in the First World War. I also had two Great Great uncles who served in the Second World War their names are Robert Maccormac and Peter Day.
George William Erasmus Vile
George William Erasmus Vile is my Great Great Grandfather who served in the first world war. He was born in Brompton, South Australia. When he joined the war he lived with his wife on 55 Coglin Street in Brompton. His service number was 3391. He embarked to the war on the 7th of March 1918 in Adelaide. He worked as a railway packer. George was 35 years of age when he joined up in the war. He was married to Mary Vile at the time. George came in on the RMS Ormonde. He was a part of the 43rd Battalion and the 8th reinforcement.The 43rd Battalion was the last of the predominantly South Australian Battalions to be raised. George returned to Australia on the 9th of December 1918.
The 43rd Battalion.
The Embarkation List - You can see George's name at the bottom of the list.
Robert Maccormac
My Great Great Uncle, Robert Maccormac (Bob) served in WW2. Robert was born on the 26th of July, 1916. His service number was N73596. Bob joined the war on the 13th of March, 1940. He was in the Coastal Defences unit as a gunner in the war. Robert came home early from the war because he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He died on the 17th of April, 1941 in Australia, aged 24. He passed away from the tumour.
Peter Ross Day
My Great Great Uncle, Peter R Day was a member of the Air Force in World War Two. Peter was born in the 1920's. Before he joined the war he lived in Adelaide with his mother. Peter fought in Papua New Guinea. After the war Peter moved to Tasmania and married a lady from Hobart. He moved to the East Coast of Tasmania and farmed. Peter then died in 1965.
Reflection
By being involved in this project I have learnt a lot of new information on my family history, about Gallipoli and about how ANZAC Day is celebrated in many different ways. When I started this project I did not know about any family members that had been part of any of the wars, and I also was not aware what roles the family members partook in the war. When I began this project I did not have a very strong knowledge on the topic of Gallipoli. By participating in this project I learnt about what roles my family members played in Gallipoli and I also found out what these war positions did during the landing of Gallipoli. Before this project I only knew very little about how people celebrated ANZAC Day, like attending dawn services, watching ANZAC parades, going to the ANZAC Day football clash and how baking ANZAC biscuits was a part of remembrance. By completing this project it broadened my view on how people take ANZAC Day too far and how Australians are very proud of our ANZAC’s.
Being involved in this project has changed my view on ANZAC Day to a certain extent. It has not changed how I respect the ANZAC’s; I may even respect them more now that I know in more detail what they had to go through. Being involved in this project has also changed how I think about peoples ANZAC Day celebrations. I have never thought in detail about how people have taken their ANZAC Day celebrations too far.
References
Australian Imperial Force 1917, Nominal Roll, Table, Australian War Memorial, accessed 2 May 2015, <http://static.awm.gov.au/images/collection/items/ACCNUM_LARGE/RCDIG1067799/RCDIG1067799--412-.JPG>.
Day, G 2015, pers. comm., 5 May.
Day, P 2015, pers. comm., 5 May.
First World War Embarkation Rolls: George William Erasmus Vile 2015, Australian War Memorial, accessed 1 May, <https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R2015363/>.
Roll of Honour: Robert MacCormac 2015, Australian War Memorial, accessed 6 May 2015, <https://www.awm.gov.au/people/rolls/R1686127/>.
RSL Virtual War Memorial | George William Erasmus VILE 2013, RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 1 May, <http://www.rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/98839>.
The AIF Project, George William Erasmus VILE 2015, UNSW, accessed 1 May, <https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=309040>.
43rd Infantry Battalion 1917, Photograph, RSL Virtual War Memorial, accessed 3 May 2015, <http://www.rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/units/64>.